


I don't like your attitude

by Mirha



Category: Men's Football RPF
Genre: Alternate Universe, Getting Together, M/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-12-29
Updated: 2019-05-06
Packaged: 2019-09-29 23:44:48
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 8,507
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17213072
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Mirha/pseuds/Mirha
Summary: Bunny Luka is fed up with the tiger ruling over the forest and he won’t stay silent about it





	1. Chapter 1

Luka lived in a calm, quiet forest, far away from the cities built by mankind. There was plenty of food for everyone, not that many predators running around and more wood to chew on that he could dream of. At first glance, it looked like the perfect place for the bunny hybrid he was. And yet, he wasn’t content with his fate, thumping angrily while his friends stared at him worryingly.

“That’s it, I’ve had enough! I’m gonna tell him!”

“Don’t do that, Luka! He’ll eat you!”

Luka ignored Marcelo’s plea and Odri’s desperate look, a defiant expression on his face.

“Well, if he can’t take a little criticism, then he shouldn’t rule over this forest.”

Before they could tell him again that he was crazy, that he was only going to get himself killed, Luka put on his full animal form and jumped out of their sight. When his mind was set on something, it was near impossible to change his decision.

He enjoyed the peace of their homeland, yes, apart from one major problem: he couldn’t stand the tiger who had proclaimed himself kings of those lands. Luka knew the theory, that the big predator was keeping them all safe, that he was on top of the food chain, that he was kind enough not to hunt them and bla bla bla… Except that he was also short-tempered, full of himself and believed he could boss everyone around without having anyone complaining.

Well, Luka was going to prove him wrong.

Like everyone else, he knew the way to the tiger’s den, just like every animal of the forest. In case of danger, they were supposed to hide in there so he could protect them. Thankfully, no predator or human had come to threaten their safe heaven for years and so it never served that purpose during Luka’s life. Most of the time, prey animals like himself stayed away from the place, afraid that the tiger would renounce his vow not to hurt them if they annoyed him too much.

The fierce little bunny hopping through the forest didn’t care about that. Many would have called him bold for his actions, some courageous and others stupid. Not that Luka cared. He was going to have a serious talk with that tiger, and he wasn’t going to shake in front of him like everyone else.

The den was situated near a big lake, where the tiger liked to swim and fish. Luka cautiously entered the place, all while changing back to his hybrid form. He would still be smaller than the tiger, sure, but still, that was already better.

Bones cracked under his feet and for the first time, he started wondering if this wasn’t a bad idea. Luka knew that the skulls laying on the floor were there long before the tiger decided to settle here. He only kept those here so that others predators roaming by would understand that this was his territory and that he wouldn’t hesitate to fight whoever would challenge him.

He quickly spotted him, laying at the back of the cave and cleaning one of his big paws, his sharps claws showing. Luka gulped, his long ears flattening down in fear. He immediately cursed his prey instincts that were screaming to him to run far, far away. He tightened his fists, forcing himself to look strong and determined.

His smell betrayed his presence and the tiger rose his head, curious and amused. He slowly stretched then yawned, his jaw open wide and revealing his dangerous teeth. Once more, Luka needed a second to calm down, his friends’ words coming back to his mind. Maybe he was just crazy, maybe die here, his neck crushed under those powerful fangs…

Damn instincts! He crossed his arms and scowled, angry at himself for his own cowardice. The tiger raised an interested eyebrow, clearly entertained by the bunny’s internal struggle. Then he turned to his hybrid form too and walked toward him, an arrogant smirk on his lips.

Oh right, that was the reason why Luka was here in the first place. Because he couldn’t stand that bastard and his smugness any longer.

“What brings you here, little bunny? Did you get lost? Or did some big bad predator bully you? No need to be afraid, I’ll watch over you now.”

The tiger’s smooth, deep tone got on his nerves and Luka pouted, not missing the teasing in his voice.

“I’m not little and I certainly don’t need anyone watching over me! I’m here to discuss things with you!”

“Oh, sorry. It’s just that you do look kinda small from up here, you know.” The tiger mocked him, getting closer so Luka just wouldn’t be able to ignore the height difference between them. Again, his instincts told him that this was a bad, very bad idea and that he should flee this instant, but he forced himself to stay there, facing the predator. “And before discussing anything with you, I would like to know who you are, little bunny.”

Luka pouted, even more annoyed than when he first arrived to the den. Of course, everyone in the forest knew who the tiger was, but he didn’t even bother to get to know the people living under his protection. Not that this really surprised him.

“I’m Luka and you’d better remember it, because if you call me little bunny one more time…”

“It’s okay, Lukita, no need to be so tense. I’m not gonna eat you, you know. By the way, I’m S…”

“Sergio, I know. Everybody knows. And don’t call me Lukita either! My name is Luka. L-U-K-A. It’s not that complicated.”

Sergio barely managed to stifle a laugh, but he decided to let it slide so he could discover why this daring bunny came to him.

“So, Luka, what is it you wanted to tell me?”

“I don’t like your attitude.”

“What?”

Sergio was a little taken aback, not really expecting so much honesty from the frail prey in front of him. He could have killed him with one blow from his paw and yet the bunny was facing him, staring straight at his eyes, barely shivering while others of his kind would have been already shaking and begging for mercy in the same situation.

“You heard me. You’re always acting like you’re the best out there, as if you knew everything and everyone had to obey you. It’s really annoying and it has to stop.”

“Wait, so you came here to… Complain about me?”

“Yup, that’s the idea. Things need to change. You have to listen more to the other animals of this forest!”

Despite his surprise, Sergio couldn’t help but find Luka’s honesty endearing. So small and yet so determined, not afraid to speak his mind in front of a deadly predator…

It was only natural of him to play a little with such an amusing distraction.

“Oh, so you’re saying you know better than me how I should rule this forest? You, a little prey animal?” Sergio teased him, not even trying to hide the grin on his lips.

“Well, I sure know that you should stop acting like a bastard.” Luka replied, crossing his arms.

“Really? Okay then, let’s see if you’re strong enough to convince me of that.”

Before Luka could ask him what he meant by that, Sergio was a tiger again, looking really proud of himself.

“Oh so you want to show off with your predator form? Great, that’s really constructive to the conversation and… Ah!”

When Sergio suddenly pounced on him, Luka yelped against his well, trapped against the ground under the predator. He tried to control his panicking heart just as he started breathing heavily. Even if he tried to tell himself that the tiger wouldn’t hurt him, that he had promised not to hurt the animals of his forest, his instincts were still there, screaming to him to run for his life.

This time, he couldn’t fight against them, not when a huge tiger was leaning over him. He quickly shifted under his bunny form, which allowed him to escape since he was now much smaller than before. He hopped away from Sergio and started to run, his heart in his throat. He also couldn’t ignore how humiliated he felt, to have failed so completely and to leave running away.

This became the last of his problems when he realized the tiger was chasing him down, though.

Pure terror filled his mind and he ran as fast as he could, but it wasn’t enough. Powerful jaws wrapped themselves around his body and he closed his eyes, thinking that this was it, that this was how he died, hunted down by a predator.

However, the teeth never pierced his skin and the tiger only lifted him off the ground, carrying him in his mouth. The bunny tried to wriggle out of his grasp, but Sergio was too strong and soon enough, they were back in his den. Again, Luka feared for his life. Maybe the tiger brought him here just so he could kill him without leaving any proof of his crime in the forest.

Luka realized that he was wrong when the tiger let him go though. He immediately tried to flee again, but a playful paw brought him close to the predator. Before Luka could start panicking again, the tiger starting licking and grooming him and this time, the bunny didn’t miss his amused look. That jerk didn’t plan on eating him, he was just playing with him, making fun of Luka for being smaller and more vulnerable than him!

His anger kicked in again and it was enough for him to transform back. He ended up with a face full of tiger tongue and grimaced, trying to push the predator away. The tiger didn’t seem to mind this change though, because he cornered Luka, trapping him under his weight once more. He watched him trying to wriggle away for a few seconds, then he shifted back too.

“See my point now? You shouldn’t start a quarrel with someone who could eat you. You’re lucky I don’t want to harm you in any way, my little bunny.”

Luka wanted to protest again, to say that he wasn’t fair, that he wasn’t his little bunny, but something stopped him. He suddenly realized how close he was to Sergio, how he could almost touch him. He couldn’t take his eyes off those deep, deep brown eyes, defined cheeks, powerful muscles…

He quickly shook his head, a little ashamed of himself. He knew exactly what it was. His mating instinct, ticking in at the very worst moment, as usual. Not the best way to show that tiger how angry he was at him.

“Get… Get off me!” Luka stuttered, knowing he would have troubles gaining control back over himself if he stayed so close to the predator, Sergio’s scent flooding his sensitive nose and slowly clouding his mind.

“And what are you going to do if I refuse, uh? Pout until I let you go?” Sergio laughed.

He rolled over to free his prisoner though and Luka quickly stood up, brushing the dust off his hair.

“Let me help you with that.”

Sergio ran a gentle hand through the soft locks, cleaning the spots Luka couldn’t reach himself. The bunny knew he should have protested, should have shouted at the tiger not to touch him, except that he liked it. A lot. Definitely more than he should have. And obviously, the feeling was sharing, because Sergio kept on caressing it long after he was done cleaning. His touch wasn’t rough like Luka would have expected of someone like him and for a moment, he couldn’t help but wonder how those fingers would feel on his fur when he was fully transformed, or even on his bare skin…

Luka’s eyes snapped open, as he realized he didn’t even remember when he had closed them out of contentment. He needed to leave, now, before things got out of hands, before he decided to do something he definitely would regret later.

“I… I’m sorry, I have to go. You know, things to do, all that. G… Goodbye.”

“Wait!”

Sergio tried to hold him back, but the bunny was already long gone, knowing he wouldn’t have been able to control himself if he had stayed near the tiger for one more minute. His heart raced as he ran through the forest, part of him praying that Sergio wasn’t chasing after him, part of him hoping that he was, that he would trap Luka against the nearest tree, skin against skin, ready to devour him…

Luka blushed hard as he disappeared through the trees and he decided that no one should know about this, ever. The forest was big, hiding from the tiger and pretending he never met him shouldn’t be that hard.

Or at least, he hoped so.


	2. Chapter 2

“So, did you really go see that tiger?”

“No, I chickened out and I’m sure everyone knows it by now. No need to rub it in.”

The lie stung on his tongue, bitter and annoying. It was still better than admitting the truth about how he fled from Sergio’s den, though.

“I’m sure it’s better that way, no need to be ashamed, Luka. He would have eaten you. It’s better for us bunnies to stay away from predators’ business, you know.”

Luka forced himself not to sigh and he barely paid attention to the rest of the conversation. Since he met Sergio, the tiger was always on his mind and of course his friends weren’t helping him to forget him. It would be so embarrassing if they figured out that he did want to be devoured by the big predator, just not in the way they imagined.

He couldn’t close his eyes without having his mind filled with dreams about Sergio. Some were pretty tame, with the tiger simply grooming him and cuddling with him, but in others…

Luka gulped hard, feeling his cheeks grow red at the memory. These last few days, he hadn’t been able to concentrate on anything else and he hated himself for that. He kept telling himself that it would be fine though, all he had to do was stop thinking about the tiger and everything would be al…

At that same moment, a loud roar resonated through the forest, frightening everyone. Out of instinct, Luka himself lowered his ears in fear, before his reason told him that it was no use panicking, that it was only that bastard tiger being annoying. Again.

Luka huffed, upset. Of course, that cocky tiger needed to remind everyone of how big and strong he was, not caring that his roars would scare every prey animal such as himself and…

A new roar. Then another. This time, Luka decided that enough was enough. Ignoring his own resolutions to stay away from the tiger, he headed towards his den again. This time, he wouldn’t back down until Sergio agreed to start acting like a decent person.

And no, it wasn’t just an excuse to see him again. Not at all.

 

This time, he didn’t warn anyone. Maybe that was foolish of him, but he didn’t care. He didn’t want to have all his friends asking him questions about that damn tiger again. So he made sure to be as discreet as possible as he arrived near his den. It wasn’t all that difficult. Most of the forest’s creatures were hiding because their ruler just wouldn’t stop with the damn roars.

They were all wondering what was angering the tiger so much when Luka only had one idea in mind, to make him shut up so that everyone could spend their day in peace.

As he entered the cave, the roars became louder and louder, hurting the bunny’s sensitive ears. He put his hands over them and kept advancing forward, determined not to back down this time. His survival instinct still forced him to warn Sergio that he was coming into his home so that the tiger wouldn’t treat him as an intruder.

“Hey, it’s Luka! Remember, the bunny from the other day? Now, can you please…”

The moment his eyes fell on the tiger, Luka froze out of shock. Sergio was under his animal form, trapped in a net and wriggling in an attempt to break free. This trap was the work of men, no doubt about it. However, the more the tiger fought, the tighter the net became, keeping him from moving. He tried to bite and claw his way out, without result. The tiger seemed caught in a trance, to the point where Luka was pretty convinced that he didn’t even notice his presence, even though Luka was standing right in front of him.

The bunny immediately knew that he needed to think fast. If humans had put a trap in the tiger’s den, then that meant they knew he lived here and intended on capturing or killing him. The bunny wouldn’t let that happen. Sergio was maybe rude, annoying and smug, but he belonged to this forest.

He tried to take a slow step forward, but he stilled when the tiger thrashed against his bounds again. Sergio was so enraged that he would certainly hurt Luka if the bunny went near him. He needed to calm him down before anything else.

“Sergio, please, listen to me. I’m here to help, but I need to come close to you for that. So could you maybe… Stop moving?”

At his name, the tiger’s ears rose up and he stopped struggling, his beautiful, desperate golden eyes begging Luka not to abandon him. However, he kept growling, not having decided yet if the bunny was a threat or not. Understanding that, Luka acted out of utter boldness. He slowly stepped forward before placing his hand right next to the tiger’s nose so he could scent him. His heart was beating fast in his chest, aware that Sergio could just bite his forearm off if he felt frighten.

However, the tiger seemed to recognize his smell because he pressed his chin against Luka’s hand, a happy, relieved sound coming from his throat. His fur was soft under the bunny’s fingers and without thinking, he scratched and petted him in a reassuring gesture.

“Listen, I can get you out of here, but for that you need to stay still, okay? You could hurt me otherwise.”

Sergio was still too panicked to turn back to his hybrid form, but he nodded, although fear didn’t leave his eyes. Luka couldn’t blame him. He would be terrified too, if he was trapped by humans and an almost stranger was his only chance to escape.

Sergio whined pitifully the moment Luka removed his hand, needy for any kind of comfort. It broke Luka’s heart, to see the king of the forest looking so miserable. Sure, he had hoped more than once that someone or something would put the tiger back in his place, but not like that.

“I’m not leaving, I promise. You’ll be free in no time, you just have to trust me.”

Luka didn’t wait for any answer on the tiger’s end. He shifted to his bunny form under Sergio’s bewildered eyes. It took him a minute to overcome his instincts and not to run in front of the strong predator. Once that was done, it got as close as possible and started chewing at the ropes restraining the tiger. They were thick, but the bunny’s determination was stronger. He cut them one by one while Sergio obeyed his order and stayed still so he wouldn’t crush him. After a while, Luka took a step back and shifted again.

“Okay, try to move now.”

The tiger squirmed again but this time, he managed to slip free through the hole the bunny chewed into the net. For a moment he just stood there, his eyes wide, not believing his luck. However, the moment he snapped out of this state, he jumped on Luka, knocking him over, then he started covering his face in big, happy licks.

Luka would never get used to have a tiger pouncing on him but this time, he fought his instincts hard enough not to transform back into a bunny and run away. His skin started tingling under the tiger’s soft fur and he even surprised himself when he started giggling before trying to get the big feline off him.

“Yes, you’re alive, you big, stupid tiger, but we need to leave this place before the humans come b… Oh my god, are you hurt?”

He stared at his own hand in horror. His fingers were covered in Sergio’s blood and the bunny noticed how several spots in the tiger’s fur were tainted by red too. Thankfully, Sergio still seemed to have lots of energy in him, but he was in no state to fight humans.

“Can you shift back? You would be more discreet under a smaller form.”

Sergio moved to the side to free Luka from his weight, but he also looked down and shook his big head negatively, clearly ashamed. The bunny put a shy hand between his ears and scratched gently at the fur in a gentle motion, hoping that it would help to calm the tiger and not make him want to devour his savior.

“You’re too stressed to change form, right? It’s okay, I understand. It happens to everyone. We still can’t stay here, though. Follow me, the entrance to one of my burrows is big enough to hide you.”

Sergio rose a surprised eyebrow, a bit skeptical and Luka huffed in annoyance.

“Come one, now isn’t the moment to doubt my words. After what happened to you, you should just accept that sometimes you need help from someone smaller than you. Also yes, that tunnel I dug is big enough to welcome a tiger, you’ll realize that soon when you follow me.”

Luka feared it would take time to convince this stubborn tiger, but Sergio only nudged his hands before looking at him expectantly, waiting for the bunny to show him the way. Luka gulped, startled by the trust in spotted in his mesmerizing eyes.

“Great, let’s get out of here.”

Luka was cautious when he got out of the den, Sergio behind him. Thankfully, the humans weren’t back yet and they managed to escape without troubles. However, a sound startled Sergio and the tiger took a step back, fear in his eyes. Luka immediately sniffed the air around them, but he found no trace of them.

“It’s nothing, just follow me.”

This time though, Sergio refused, ready to go back into his den. Luka rolled his eyes. Maybe the tiger’s instincts told him that he would be safer in his cavern, but reality was far more complicated. If humans carrying guns cornered him… Luka did’nt want to think about what could happen then.

“Please, now isn’t the time to be stubborn! You need to come with me!”

Luka realized that Sergio was shaking, and he understood that his words wouldn’t be of any help, not when the tiger was only listening to his wild instincts.

The bunny knew how to deal with that.

“I guess there’s only one way to get you out of here. I wish I didn’t have to do this, but well…”

One second later, a white, fluffy bunny stood almost between the tiger’s paws, to Sergio’s bewilderment. Luka turned around, wiggling his fluffy tail, then he darted off, trusting in the tiger’s instincts. Soon enough, he heard the tiger chasing after him, not able to resist the sight of a fleeing prey.

He ran until he was under the protection of the trees, hidden by their big leaves. Sergio would easily follow his trail here, but not humans. He took a first sigh of relief, then started looking for the entrance of his burrow. The other rabbits wouldn’t be happy with him leading a tiger into their home, but he just couldn’t leave Sergio to be hunted, especially not when he was injured.

It didn’t take him too long to find his way underground. Sergio followed him a bit more slowly, clearly not at ease within the narrow tunnels. Luka took a few turns so that it would be hard to track them down, then he stopped, knowing that exhausting the tiger too much wouldn’t be good for his injuries. He shifted back to his human form just a minute before the tiger finally reached.

“We can stay here, it should be safe eno…”

Luka didn’t even get to finish his sentence. Sergio threw himself at him and he lost in balance, falling under the big tiger. For a moment, Luka feared that he would really hurt him, but was soon proven wrong. He ended up with big paws wrapped around his body and the tiger nudging his head joyfully and rearranging his hair with his tongue.

“This is starting to become a really, really annoying habit.” Luka complained, all while knowing that he just couldn’t get out of the tiger’s grasp. “Can you at least transform back so I can take a look at your injuries, please?”

Sergio shook his head, burying his nose against Luka’s shoulder instead. Obviously, he wasn’t ready to leave the safety of his tiger’s form just yet. But after being trapped by humans, it was only to be expected. Maybe Luka should have complained a bit more, but the tiger’s fur was warm and soft against him and his rescue had left him emotionally exhausted too.

“Okay, we can take a few minutes to rest, if that’s what you need. But afterwards, you’ll change form. I’m growing tired of speaking alone.”

Sergio accepted his conditions with a small nod, before closing his eyes for a minute. Luka didn’t want to lower his guard, but he felt incredibly safe, protected by a strong tiger like Sergio. Without realizing, he started drifting off, all cuddled against the predator he just saved.


	3. Chapter 3

When Luka lazily opened his eyes, he was pressed tightly against a warm chest. He blushed and it took him a minute to realize who he was sharing his den with.

“Sergio?”

The tiger rose up his head, still sleepy himself. Luka was happy to see that he finally felt safe enough to turn back into his hybrid form. Maybe he should have moved so things wouldn’t get awkward between them, but he felt comfortable in Sergio’s arms, as if he were meant to be there...

He soon came back to reality, however, when he noticed the injuries peppering Sergio’s skin. Luka immediately put some distance between them.

“Fuck, your injuries... Please, tell me I didn’t hurt you any further!”

Sergio looked a little disappointed, but it only lasted for a second. Then he smiled gently at Luka, trying to calm the bunny.

“No, don’t worry. And even if you did, it wouldn’t matter. I mean, I certainly would be dead by now if it wasn’t for you. You saved my life, little bunny.”

Luka still wasn’t quite fond of the nickname, but he couldn’t ignore the newfound respect in Sergio’s voice. He was still a little disgruntled that the tiger had to be put to a life or death situation for them to finally talk equal to equal.

“Can you tell me what happened? How did you get hurt?” He pointed at Sergio’s bleeding wounds. “If those are from humans weapons, we’ll have to extract the bullets or you could still die from it.”

“Thankfully, that’s not the case. The humans... They used hunt dogs to track me down. That’s certainly how they found my den, too. I fought against several of their hounds and won. Then I thought I would be safe in my home, the time for my injuries to heal. Obviously I was wrong.”

Upon closer inspection, Luka noticed that Sergio was indeed covered in bite and claw wounds. He sighed in relief. At least, he knew how to tend to those.

“It’s okay, you’re safe now. No one would expect a tiger to hide in a rabbit’s burrow, right? Can I leave you alone for a second, though? I know some herbs that would lower your pain. You must be aching all over...”

For a moment, Sergio considered rejecting the proposition so he wouldn’t look weak in front of Luka. But as he stood up to show the bunny that he was alright, he couldn’t help but wince from the pain.

“That would be very nice of you. Just make sure not to put yourself in danger while fetching those herbs. You already risked so much just to help me...”

“It won’t be that big of a deal. I promise I’ll be careful though. Tried to get some rest while I’m gone okay? Your body needs it.”

Sergio grunted, his ears low, hating to be so powerless, but he still followed the bunny’s advice and laid down again. Exhaustion caught up with him almost immediately and the tiger was snoring loudly before Luka even left the burrow. He took one last look at him before leaving, surprised by the fondness that filled his heart. Luka decided to ignore it for now as he went to collect everything he needed to heal Sergio.

 

It took him a while longer than he expected it to. Some plants were scarcer than others at this time of the year and finding them could be challenging. Thankfully, Luka knew all the right spots and he didn’t encounter any trouble while on his search. The forest was strangely quiet now, without Sergio’s roars.

He found no trace of the humans, but that didn’t mean they were gone, just that they took no interest in chasing an insignificant bunny like him. Soon enough, he came back to his den, carrying plenty of healing herbs with him, enough to last several days.

He found Sese right where he left him, but he was back in his tiger form, cleaning his paws with long licks. However, he turned back quickly when he was Luka was there, a little ashamed.

“I didn’t mean to go back to my animal form.” He tried to explain awkwardly. “It’s just... I didn’t feel as safe, being all alone...”

Another than Luka could have laughed at Sergio only feeling comfortable enough to show his hybrid form when a rabbit was around. Instead, the bunny just shrugged.

“Being me, I can’t really blame you for changing forms because of your instincts. You’ve been tracked down and hunted all the way to your den, too. If I was in your place, I would feel on edge too. Could you try to stay like this while I treat your wounds though? It would be easier without fur getting in the way.”

Sergio nodded, curious as he was Luka starting to mix herbs together.

“Where did you learn all that?”

“From my family. We’re bunnies, we’re often targeted by lots of predator, so we need to know how to heal ourselves. We have to hide when we’re not feeling well, too. A sick bunny doesn’t stay alive for long.”

“And you’re comfortable sharing all this with me? I mean, a predator?”

“Let’s be real. If you wanted to eat me, I’d be already dead. And I know you swore not to harm the animals of this forest. So yes, I trust you with this.”

Luka stopped talking for a second so he could concentrate on applying some mixture on Sergio’s wound. The tiger growled from the pain, but he forced himself to stay still. Luka had to repeat the gesture several times and he grimaced as he realized Sergio’s was hurt in so many places.

“I’m sorry to tell you that, but you’ll have to stay here for a while. There’s just no way I’m letting you outside in that state of yours, especially if there are humans looking for you.”

Sergio raised an eyebrow that clearly meant “As if you could stop me if I wanted to get out.” He didn’t say it out loud though and he complied to the bunny’s command.

“I don’t really feel that comfortable underground, but I guess I’ll have to deal with it. There’s just... Something I wanted to ask you.”

“What’s that?” Luka inquired, puzzled by Sergio’s sudden self-conscious attitude.

“Why... Why did you come to save me? I mean, when I panicked and started calling for help, no one answered. No one but you.”

Luka gulped down, suddenly very aware of the tiger’s piercing stare on him. He tried to look for an answer that would please Sergio, but in the end, he just decided to go for the truth.

“Because no one thought you could actually need help. Just look at yourself. You’re a huge, strong tigers. You’re at the top of the food chain. So when everyone heard you roaring... Well, they just assumed you were upset about something and hid until you calmed down.”

“That still didn’t explain why you came to me.”

“That’s because I thought you were being an obnoxious tiger and wanted to tell you to stop, like last time! I didn’t expect to find you... You know... Trapped in a net and stuff. I’m still happy I was there to help you, though.”

Luka tried his best to hide the blush invading his cheeks. He knew he wasn’t telling him the complete truth, wasn’t mentioning how he had been dying to come see Sergio again after their first encounter. How some part of him wanting nothing more than to submit to that strong, majestic tiger...

He quickly shook his head, because now was not the time to be getting those kind of ideas, not when Sergio was right in front of him. It would be no good making a fool of himself. Not only did the tiger have other things to think about, there was also no chance he would ever get interested in a small, scrawny bunny like Luka.

“I guess I’m lucky you were so brave then, deciding to confront me again. I wouldn’t have gotten out of that trap without help.”

Luka giggled awkwardly at the praise, his cheeks turning red. This tiger was too much of a smooth talker for the bunny’s own good.

“Don’t try to be kind on me just because I saved you. I know what I did was reckless. I guess I never stood any change in changing your behavior, so...”

“Don’t say that. I was the one being stupid for not listening to you, back then.”

“What?”

Luka’s ears rose up out of surprised and he stared at the tiger, not expecting such a declaration from him. Sergio looked embarrassed and clearly ill-at-ease, but in the end he blurted out:

“You were right. I was being too full of myself and obnoxious to the other inhabitants of the forest. If that hadn’t been the case, someone would have guessed something was wrong when I was roaring for help and would have checked on me, apart from you.”

Luka hated the sad look on Sergio’s face. Sure, at first all he wanted was for the tiger to stop acting all haughty, but now that it was happening for real... He wasn’t enjoying it one bit. Not when Sergio already looked so broken, with his body covered in bruises.

“That’s not true! You’re... You’re not that bad, actually. I mean, you could act like a tyrant and kill whoever disagrees with you. You let me live even after I complained about how you ruled the forest. Other predators wouldn’t have been so kind.”

“I still can’t believe you were aware of that and still came to see me, to be completely honest.” Sergio laughed.

“I already told you I was reckless! I didn’t really think anything through, okay?”

Before they could discuss it any further, Sergio’s stomach growled out of hunger. Luka almost whined as he realized how stupid his plan of keeping the tiger hidden underground had been. Of course Sergio just wouldn’t be able to survive out of vegetables and hay like a bunny could. He needed meat. Lots of meat. Suddenly Luka didn’t feel so safe anymore staying so close to a starving tiger. His prey instincts were taking over when Sergio put a gentle hand on his shoulder.

“Please, don’t be afraid. I won’t hurt you, I promise. Not after you saved my life. All you have to do is warn the other animals of the forest that I’m staying here for a while. It’s them who bring me the food I need, as you must certainly know. I’m pretty sure you thought that was pretty rude of me, too.”

“Well, I did, but I can’t deny this will come in handy. Just let me warn the other rabbits that I’m welcoming a tiger in our home for quite a while though. I don’t think they’ll be happy about it anyway, but it’ll be worse if they learn it from somebody else than me.”

“If I’m causing you too much trouble, I could try to go and find another den for myself...”

“Oh no, don’t you even dare think about it! In your state, the only thing you’re allowed to do is to rest! I don’t want you to go roaming outside and get your wounds infected! Plus, my family are bunnies. They’ll never have the courage to chase you out.”

“Are you sure? I’m pretty convinced you’d have enough temper to do it.”

Luka couldn’t ignore the smirk on Sergio’s lips and he shivered from head to toe. Maybe cohabiting with this tiger would bring him some problems he didn’t foresee. However, it was too late to turn back now, not when the tiger’s life depended on him.

“Well, I guess you’re lucky I’m on your side then.”

“I really am.”

From his tone, Luka could tell that Sergio wasn’t messing with him. He really meant those words. It was almost surreal, to hear the tiger admitting that Luka’s help was welcome. And the way the tiger was staring at him now... It made Luka’s stomach twist, and it wasn’t from fear.

“I should really go. Talk to my family, you know. Before they find you and have a heart attack. Well... Uhm... See you around when that’s done, then.”

Luka didn’t linger around long enough to dwell on how ridiculous he certainly sounded. He rushed to another tunnel, hoping Sergio didn’t notice the scent of arousal coming out of him.

He didn’t know what he would have done if he had stayed one more minute with the tiger, with those piercing, predator eyes on him.


	4. Chapter 4

“You lead a tiger into our house ?!”

Luka winced when Dejan stomped his foot on the floor, angered beyond reason. He didn’t back down though, standing firm in front of his friend.

“Humans were hunting him! I just couldn’t leave him to die!”

“Oh, because you care more about the life of a predator than about the life of your family, now?”

At that blame, Luka felt the eyes of all the other rabbits on him. He had hoped this would go smoothly. Sadly, he had been wrong.

“And I thought you didn’t like this tiger anyway. The other day, you said he was rude and insensitive.” Alvaro timidly intervened.

Luka bit the inside of his cheek. If only he had shut up about that... He could feel everyone whispering around him and he knew convincing them wouldn’t be easy.

“Well, everyone can make mistakes. Also, Sergio isn’t like other predators. He promised not to hurt any of us, so I don’t see what’s wrong in offering him shelter the time for him to heal.”

“Yeah, a promise that will last until his instincts take over.” Dejan growled. “We can’t trust him. He needs to leave or we’ll never be safe.”

“That would be like killing him! You haven’t see how hurt he is! He wouldn’t survive outside for long!”

“He’s a predator, Luka. That would only be one less mouth who feeds on prey animals like us. All the better.”

Luka’s eyes opened wide and he unconsciously started growling too, ready to fight Dejan over this if needed.

“How can you be so cruel?”

“Well, maybe because contrary to you, I realize that some of us here have children they need to protect. Newborn kits who would never be able to outrun a tiger.”

Luka went speechless for a second. He was certain Sergio would never hurt young bunnies, but he could understand the concerns of his family. The reminder that he didn’t have a mate of his own while most of his friends did and already had kits hurt, though.

“Listen, I know this may sound scary, but Sergio will not leave my burrow, I promise. You won’t even see him.”

“Yeah, as if you could control a tiger that big. I won’t repeat myself, Luka. Find a way to make him leave.”

“But...”

Before the bunny could protest, a loud ruckus came from one of the galleries. Dejan’s eyes immediately grew wide with fear, his black rabbit ears going down.

“It’s coming from the nursery! I knew we couldn’t trust that tiger of yours!”

He sprinted towards the nursery, quickly followed by all the other bunnies, Luka included. He couldn’t believe Sergio was the one at fault, he needed to witness it with his own eyes. And if his family’s kits were really at any risk, he would do everything in his power to rescue them.

 

They didn’t have to run for long. Lots of tunnels linked the nursery to the rest of the burrow, so the bunnies could reach it quickly in case emergencies like this one. When they arrived, the first things they saw was trembling baby bunnies trying to hide wherever they could. Two foxes were in the den. One of them held a wriggling kit between his teeth while the other was trying to reach a baby bunny hidden between cracks in the rock. The predators snarled when they saw the bunnies arriving.

Most of them took a step back in front of the predators, their instincts kicking back in. They weren’t strong enough to fight those enemies and their natural instinct was to flee while guiding the kits that could still be saved with them. Only Luka and Dejan didn’t move despite their instincts screaming at them to run, both trying to find a way to save the kit held by the fox.

Before they could come out with a plan, the fox who was trying to catch the hidden bunny changed his mind. Adult bunnies would make a fuller meal for him, after all. His sly eyes fell upon Luka and in one jump, he leaped towards the rabbit, his jaw opened and ready to break his neck. Luka’s flight instinct didn’t even have the time to kick in.

Sharp teeth were about to close on his fur when a huge mass collided with the fox. The predator rolled to the other side of the burrow, whining from pain, while a big paw gently dragged a frozen bunny even further away from the fox.

Luka recognized Sergio from his smell and a sense of relief immediately overcome him. That didn’t keep him from lowering his ears when the tiger let out a loud roar though. The two foxes stared at him, and the one that was holding the kid released him before running out of the tunnel as fast as he could. The other one didn’t back down so easily.

He snarled at Sergio before going for the defenseless baby rabbit. The tiger reacted quickly. He rushed between the fox and his prey then hit him with all his claws out. The fox fell on its side and before he could stand back up, the tiger bit his neck, crushing his bones. It only took a few seconds for the predator to die.

One second later, Sergio was back in his hybrid form, breathing heavily, blood running down his chest. Luka’s eyes grew wide as he walked to be by the tiger’s side.

“The fight reopened your wounds...” He whispered, still in shock and not quite realizing yet how close he had been to death.

“That’s nothing. It will heal. You saved my life, Luka, the less I could do was to do return your savor. From now on, you and your family are under my protection.”

“I’m not sure we should let him live with us. He could do to us what he did to that fox.”

It took all of Luka’s self-control not to roll his eyes at Dejan. But before they could start arguing about it, they got distracted by loud sobs.

It was coming from another hybrid who was holding tight the kit that almost got killed by the foxes. All of a sudden, Dejan forgot about the tiger to rush to his side, putting a comforting hand on his shoulder.

“It’s okay, Sime, it’s over. Your son will be fine. Just try to breathe.”

The other man nodded weakly, still shocked by what happened, whispering words of comfort to the terrified kit in his arms. Then, after a few minutes, he looked at Sergio, then at Dejan.

“We... We should let him stay... He saved my little one, Dejan. We can’t chase him away after that. Also if he leaves, that fox might come back for the babies. Having tiger scent around the den should dissuade them to try anything for a while.”

For a second, the tiger had an amused look on his face and Luka knew exactly what he was thinking. As if bunnies had the strength required to chase him away anyway. He had the decency to stay silent about it though and it didn’t take long for Dejan to surrender to Sime’s pleading eyes.

“Fine, he can stay. Luka will have to keep an eye on him though, since it’s him who brought that tiger him.” Dejan frowned at the sight of the dead fox. “Also if you could get this creature out of the nursery... The children are already traumatized enough as it is without seeing all that blood.”

“I’ll take care of that.” Sergio intervened, a threatening look in his eyes as he stared at Dejan. “I needed something to eat anyway.”

 

 

“Did you really have to be obnoxious like that to Dejan?”

“I don’t know what you’re talking ab...”

Sergio yelped as Luka cleaned one of his wounds, again. His little show from earlier didn’t let him unscathed.

“Don’t try to play smarter with me. You didn’t have to go all “I’m a big predator and now I’m going to eat this fox.” in front of everyone.”

“Well, he wanted me to leave. I don’t need another reason to dislike him.”

“It’s that kind of attitude that got you in trouble in the first place, you know.” Luka sighed. Trying to reason this tiger was like talking to a big, stubborn kid.

“Humans got me in trouble.” Sergio pouted. “If they didn’t invade my forest...”

“It’s not your forest. It’s not anyone’s forest. We only live in it. It’s as simple as that.” the bunny replied, annoyed once again by Sergio’s ego.

“It’s my territory.” The tiger grumbled once again.

“If you say so...” Luka sighed as he finished tending to Sergio’s wounds. “Now lay down and try to get some rest. I’ll go talk to the other animals so they’ll bring you food.”

“Be careful and watch out for foxes. They might not be very happy that I forbid them to hunt rabbits from your fluffle. I wouldn’t want them to turn their anger back on you.”

“Don’t worry, I didn’t wait to meet you to take care of myself.”

“You walked straight into my den.” Sergio reminded him once more.

“Will you ever let me live it down? I should let you starve for one more day just for that... Wait, what are you doing?”

The tiger threw him over and Luka ended up on his back, with Sergio above him. His breath got caught in his throat and he tried to stay still when the predator lowered himself just so he could whisper in the bunny’s ear.

“I wouldn’t do that if I were you. Letting me be hungry when you’re such a delicious looking bunny doesn’t sound like a very good plan to me.”

Sergio smirked, pleased with himself, then he freed Luka and even helped him get back on his feet. The bunny’s heart was still beating fast and he slapped Sergio’s hand away once he calmed down a little.

“Stop doing that! It’s not funny!”

“Hey, don’t get all worked up about this. I’m just messing around. You know I wouldn’t really eat you, right? Not after what you’ve done for me.”

Sergio’s smile was gone, replaced by a saddened look. He obviously didn’t mean to hurt Luka. The bunny took a deep breath, not quite sure he wanted to deal with this now. It had already been a long, long day.

“I’m not a tiger, okay, I’m a bunny. And when you throw me on my back like that, without warning... That triggers my instincts. No matter what my mind tells me, my body will get convinced you’re about to kill me, you know. When that happens, I go into some kind of trance where I can’t move at all and that’s so, so scary...”

Luka was shivering just thinking about it when Sergio but a hand on his forearm in an apologetic gesture, rubbing it in a reassuring motion.

“Are you alright? I’m sorry, I had no idea that was how you felt about this. I mean... For tigers, pouncing on each other is like a game. I didn’t really think... No there isn’t more to it, really, I just didn’t think before acting. I’m sorry. I hope you’ll forgive me.”

The tiger just kept on surprising him. Luka never imagined he would apologize for anything in his life, and yet... Yes, he was loud and annoying and hot-tempered, but this was only hiding this tender, kinder side of him that Luka was just starting to discover.

“It’s okay, you didn’t know. As long as you won’t do it again... Now, I really should go to the forest before it gets dark.”

“Of course. But before you go...”

Luka almost thought he would go into trance again when Sergio kissed his cheek with unconcealed enthusiasm. When he let go, he had the brightest smile on his face while Luka just couldn’t comprehend what happened.

“What... What was that for?”

“For saving me. I wouldn’t want you to think that I’m ungrateful.”

“Oh... Well... That’s very nice of you... Thank you... I still need to go though... You know, before night and stuff... See you later!”

Luka hated how he felt like running away from his own den once again. This tiger would be the death of him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I found out a while ago that a group of bunnies is called a fluffle and yes, that's the cutest name ever.


End file.
